Process for the separation of hydrocarbons from earthy matter



I I No Drawing.

Patented Aug. 3,1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OTFFIIJCE.

JAMES M. MGCLAVE, or nnnvna, cononan nssi'enon TO nrrummous shun oomrANY, or DENVER, conolmnmn conrona'rron or oononnno.

PROCESS FOR THE SEPARATION OF HYDBOCARCBONS FROM EARTHY MATTER.

My invention relates to a process for separating hydrocarbons from sand, rock and other earthy matter, the latter constituents coming under the general term of gangue, with'which they are associated and its object is to provide a simple and eflicient method of liberating hydrocarbons such as asphaltum, bitumen, petroleum and paraflin, from sand, rock andother baser constituents of the natural substances of which they form part, as a preparative to their complete separation.

With this object in view, my invention consists briefly 1n subjecting the crude material in a comminuted condition to the separative action of an alkaline. argillaceous earth in water, to which may be added a small percentage. of sodium silicate (Na,Si O,) in order to expedite and pro-.

mote the process and render it commercially practical.

A clay which has been found to be particularly adapted for use in the process is that generall known as bentonite,- the nature of whic 1 has been identified and described by the United States Bureau of .Mines in its Report of Investigations by Raymond B. Ladoo, ,mineral' technologist, October 1921 Serial No. 2289.

Clays of this type, varying accordin to their location and occurrence, are all 0 aracterized by an alkaline compound content, high absorptive properties and a strong colloidal action; they readily mix in water to a gelatinous. consistenc have a very pronounced cleansing e ect upon the silica or earthy matter in material with which they are intermixed, and they are totally devoid of aflinity for hydrocarbons. V

The above described properties of the clay, all of which function in the present process in liberating the hydrocarbons from materially Application filed ll'ovember 27, .1922. Serial Ho. 603,66.

to ten parts of water have been found to give satisfactory results under ordinary conditions.

With the gelatinous clay liquid is intermixed the sodium silicate in proportions rials of this type is readily accomplished by the application of heat, it is thoroughly intermixed with the compound of clay and sodium silicate in water until the hydrocarbons in the material are liberated from the sands so that by asubsequent treatment of gravity 1 concentration they may be cleanly separated from the same. I p

The well known flotation process is pary product has been found adequate under.-

ticularly suited forthis purpose and in order to expedite the movement of the freed hydrocarbons' to the overflow level of the liquid used in the process, a small quantity of crude oil such as petroleum, or other flotation agent,ma be added to the material.

The clay an sodium silicate compound if intermixed with the material in quantities sufiicient to reach every sand particle in the comminuted mass (about one per cent of the material; by weight is suflicient under ordinary conditions) destroys' the power of ad: hesion of the hydrocarbons to the sand particles and thereby causes their mechanical liberation without dissolution so thatby subsequent concentration they are rapidly separated from the earthy solids. Depending upon the character of the ore suiiicient water is added to make the ore amenable to concentration by flotation.

The cleansing efiect of the compound of clay and sodium silicate and its total lack of" aflinity for hydrocarbons, are highly eflec tive factors in the process of separation since the one cleanly and rapidly frees every sand particle with which the compound is-brought in contact, from. its adherent hydrocarbons while the other prevents any absorption ot the hydrocarbons b the clay and maintains them permanently 111' a separated state.

It will be apparent that the process as herein described may ing 'the crude material after the clay and clear that chemical equivalents of the.

sodium silicate mixture has been added thereto, and thereby combine the'comminw' tion and mixing steps to take place at the sodium silicate type may be used in place of .the sodium silicate to increase the alkali metal contentof the-clay. It is obvious that the chemical equivalents of sodium silicate need not be in silicate form as it is'the metallic portion of the sodium silicate compound which is utilized to'increase the alkali metal-content of the clay.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: M 1. The process of treating material containing hydrocarbons and gangue to separate the former from thela-tter comprising adding to the material in the presence-of water a colloidal clay which when mixed with water forms a gelatinous mass, and re-' covering the hydrocarbons. 2. The process of treating material containing hydrocarbons and gangue to separate the former from the latter comprislng adding to the material in the comminuted state in the presence of water a colloidal clay of jelly forming consistenc and sodium silicate, and recovering the hy rocarbons.

3. The process of treating material containin hydrocarbons and gangue to separate tl e for'mer from the latter comprismg mixing the material with bentonite in the presence of water, and recovering the hydrocarbons.

4. The process of treating material con taining hydrocarbons and gangue .tose a rate the former from adding to the material in the presence of water 'a mixture of bentonite and sodium silicate, and recovering the hydrocarbons.

5.]The process of treating material containing hydrocarbons and gangue to separate the former from the latterg" comprising adding to the material a mixture of 10 parts of bentonite water mixture and about 1 part of sodium silicate, and recovering the hydrocarbons.

6. The process of treating material con-- taining hydrocarbons and gangue to separate the former from the latter comprising adding to the material a mixture of bentonite and sodium silicate in water, the quantity of the mixture being about 1 per cent of the be simplified by heattaining the latter comprisingmaterial by drocarbons. 7. The process of treating material containing hydrocarbons and gangue to separate the former from the latter comprising adding to the material in the presence of water a colloidal clay of jelly forming consistency, and recovering the hydrocarbons therefrom by flotation.

8. The process of treating material containing h drocarbons an'd gangue to separate the fhrmer from the latter comprislng adding to the material in the presence of water acolloidal clay of jelly forming consistency and sodium silicate, and recovering the freed hydrocarbons by flotation.

9. The process of treating material conh drocarbons and gangue to separate the fbrmer from the lattercomprising adding bentonite to the material in the presence of water, and recovering the freed hydrocarbons by flotation.

- 10. The process of treating material conweight, and recovering the hyrate the former from the latter comprising I adding to the material in the presence of water a colloidal clay of jelly forming consistency and sodium silicate, heating the resulting mixture, and recovering the freed hydrocarbons by flotation.

11. The process of treating material containing hydrocarbons and gangue to separate the former from the latter comprising adding to-the material in the presence of water a clay characterized by an alkaline compound content, strong absorptive properties and a colloidal action, said clay on addition to the material forming a gelatinous mass, and recovering the hydrocarbons.

12. The rocess of treating material containing h rocarbons and gangue to separate the ormer from the latter comprising adding to the material in the presence of water a colloidal clay of jelly forming consistency and a compound adapted to supply an alkali metal and recovering the hydrocarbons.

13. The rocess of treating material containing h rocarbons and gangue to separate the ormer from the latter comprising adding to the material in the presence of water a clay characterized by an alkaline compound content, strong absorptive properties, and a colloidal action, said clay on the addition'to the material forming a gelatinous mass, and a compound adapted to supply signature.

JAMES M. MoOLAVE. 

